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Saturday, July 12, 2014

You Oughta Know About.... Push-in Versus Pull-out Intervention


As a math specialist I often get asked which is better... push-in or pull-out interventions.  Today I am linking up with a bunch of great bloggers to share with you all kinds of things you might like to know about.  You can check out other blog posts by checking out the links at the bottom of this post. 

Let's take a look at the pros and cons of each intervention method

Push-In

Pros

      To me, the best part of the push-in model of intervention is that I really get to know all of the kids in a class. When I am there for co-teaching whole group lessons and available for small group instruction I get to know and work with a wide range of kids.  The groupings can be more flexible and there is a great sense of teamwork with the classroom teacher.  There is a great opportunity to follow a guided math structure and having two adults in the room makes things run very efficiently.  It is also a great way to learn from another professional and see new teaching strategies.  When I do push-in interventions, I am the person moving between rooms rather than the students which certainly saves transition time.  Push-in instruction also means all the materials kids need for that subject are in one place.  Finally, it provides more consistency in terms of classroom rules and routines.  

Cons

     There are several things that can be very challenging with a push-in model for intervention.  If the classroom teacher and the interventionist have different ideas about classroom management, it can present a challenge.  If one teacher is very laid back with management while the other is very consistent and on top of things it can be tough to co-teach and co-exist in the same room.  Also, noise and distractions can be more of a problem especially as class size increases.  

Pull-Out

Pros

     The very best part about pull-out intervention is having a quiet, focused place to do it.   It is a small group of kids and at least in my case, I have my own mini-classroom to work in and there are not any distractions from other groups, students or teachers.  If I am using specific materials for a particular intervention I can leave them in one place and know they won't get moved by another teacher or kid.   Many of my favorite intervention materials like my place value decks and number puzzles are also used by teachers in the classroom so I can access most of my favorite things regardless of where I am.  When kids come to my room, they get a change of scenery and a quick break as they walk to my room which is always nice.  I also am in control of classroom management in my own space and I have to say, I really like having things my way.

Cons

     The thing I miss most when I do pull-out interventions is the co-teaching relationship I have with the classroom teacher.  I also have a very packed schedule and if I am not in a teacher's classroom, it can be hard to catch up with how students are doing and what we are working on.  I also find during pull out interventions the groups are much less flexible and I tend to end up with the same kids over and over again.  There also seems to be a bit more of lost instruction time waiting for kids to come to me or having to go to their classrooms and wait for them to be ready to go.  There are also some kids who seem to get lost on their way from their classroom to my room.  

My General Rules for Intervention

     In general, I find push-in intervention to be the most effective way for me to deliver math services.  I love getting to know all the kids in the school and I really enjoy collaborating with other teachers.  Co-teaching and sharing kids can be a great way to increase the learning of all students.  I am very good at getting along with other educators and have spent a lot of time developing relationships with the folks I work with.  When you first start with a push-in model there is certainly a learning curve as you figure out the other teachers styles, preferences, strengths and weaknesses.  After a decade of working with many of the same teachers, I have strong co-teaching relationships and can be very effective teaching with the people I know so well.  Our school also tends to have smaller class sizes which really help make push-in instruction less distracting and more effective.

    Despite the fact that I really love push-in interventions, I still do some pull-out interventions.  There are some days that the push-in model is not effective and there are some kids whose needs are so specific that they need to be in another room or near different materials to have their needs met.  The best part about my job has been the flexibility I have to move between the push-in and pull out models.

     I work almost exclusively with math but feel that many of these pros and cons still hold true for literacy interventions as well.  If you are looking for the perspective of a literacy person on this matter, you might want to check out Amy's post over at Eclectic Educating. Amy is a reading specialist who has had experience with both kids of interventions.    

How does intervention work in your school?  What method do you prefer?  Please respond in the comments below! 

Check out these other great blog posts about things you oughta know!  Tell them the Math Maniac sent you!





25 comments:

  1. I think we are long-lost teacher twins. Your post mirrors my thoughts and experiences exactly. I prefer push-in/co-teaching for math as well but can only do it with one (out of two) of the math teachers I work with. One does loads of teacher-talk time and the classroom is chaos during work time. Gives me an eye twitch. Kids prefer to be pulled from that class to get a quiet space,and it's the room across the hall from mine (oh, so much time wasted in transitions over the years my room was across campus from the math rooms!) so it all works out ok. :) I'm following you on bloglovin' now. So glad I found your blog!

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  2. Well said...and I appreciate your candid thoughts on the pros and cons. Teaching Science With Lynda

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  3. Unfortunately, my school has been pull-out only...but we're making some changes this year that may use both push-in and pull-out as well as class rotations. I'm excited to see how the kids respond to a more flexible procedure for intervention! Your list of pros and cons will be very helpful, thanks!

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    1. I think the flexibility is key to both methods working together!

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  4. Well said! I'm the only math interventionist in my building/district, and one of the only ones in my area, so I enjoy hearing from other interventionists. I do mostly pull out with my math intervention students and find it works better because the students are less distracted, and have a change of setting. Working in a K-8 building as the only math person makes it difficult to schedule push in when a lot of classrooms have math scheduled at the same times of the day. Pull out gives me more minutes with the students, more control over classroom management, and all of my materials are stored in my mini classroom so I have the materials each child needs handy.

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    1. It sounds like you work in a much bigger school than I do. I have worked in several different buildings and configurations throughout my years as a math specialist as the district has changed my position. I find the thinner they spread me, the more likely I am to do pull out intervention.

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  5. I love working with other teachers, so whenever I have a chance, I opt for the push-in option. I worked in a self-contained classroom for years, and it got to be lonely. (sniff) Inclusion was a happy place for me, and now that I'm spending time as a general ed teacher again, I love having the expertise of an interventionist. Thanks for a great article! I'll be sharing it with my interventionist buddy who does such a fabulous job of push-in herself!

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    1. I agree push-in and co teaching with great teachers is my ideal! It isn't always a reality though as the number of kids I am responsible for increases.

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  6. As a reading specialist, I face the same pros/cons each with both push in and pull out as well! I still appreciate both methods and really like having a balance of both throughout the day! I do have to say though, I love having my own space to pull my students though so they are fully immersed in our lesson with everything in the room around them being all about reading! :)
    Aylin
    Learning to the Core

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    1. There is something to be said for having your own space!

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  7. I really enjoyed reading your post. As a former resource teacher I've worked with special needs students both ways. I loved the collaboration on the inclusion model, but often felt that some students needed more intense intervention that could only be given in a pull out situation. But, pulling them out sometimes carried a stigma. Later in my career I was a classroom teacher and was always debating which was better. I never wanted them to miss anything, but realized some needed more direct intervention.

    Thanks for giving us more to think about,
    Debbie
    Crockett's Classroom . . . Forever in Third Grade

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    1. Thanks for your thoughtful comment! I agree there are many things to think about and factors to consider. It really is unique for each situation.

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  8. I am so glad to find your blog! Thanks for the pros & cons. We are just beginning our math intervention program in our district and I will be the new math interventionist for grades 3-5. I am not sure what my schedule will look like, but would really like to work on building a relationship with the math teachers to try some push-ins periodically, but I know for now I will be doing pull-outs. I will definitely be following your blog!! Thanks for all of your advice/suggestions!

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    1. Hi Denise,
      As a teacher just starting a math intervention program, you are in a great position to try to get into the classroom! I would recommend starting with a teacher you know a bit and who is receptive to you being in the classroom. It takes time to develop good teaching relationships and it is much easier to start with someone who really wants you there!

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  9. Your observations about the pros and cons of both types of intervention are spot-on with my experience as a classroom teacher! Deciding which type of intervention to use really depends on each individual need/situation.
    Deb
    http://missnelsonsgotthecamera.blogspot.com/2014/07/saturday-snapshots_12.html

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  10. My school does a little of both, depending on how thin the district spreads our intervention teachers (sped). Unfortunately, we have been in the situation where we have more kids than one person can service, but we are only alotted one teacher. I have taught math the past 7 years and loved it. Next year I'm moving up to 3rd science & social studies. I still intend to keep up with math.
    Great blog (I love the art work in your header!) & I'm your newest blog follower!

    karen
    Smarticle Particles

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    1. The artwork in my header and my entire blog design is done by Barbara at Ruby Slippers Blog Design. She does a fantastic job!

      Intervention models can be tough to keep consistent if personnel is spread to thin!

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  11. At my school we kind of have both but we primarily have pull-out interventions. I think it works pretty well, but I definitely see the positive aspects of push-in interventions as well. Thanks for sharing!

    Jasmine
    Buzzing With Mrs. McClain

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    1. Push-in interventions can definitely be more challenging. Teachers need to have good chemistry to work together the way they need to for push-in interventions.

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  12. Push in is not working for me this year. I have two one on one aids in my room so during math, I have 4 adults in my classroom all talking and working with students. During literacy, because our Speech Therapist pushes in, along with the Special Ed teacher and an interventionist, I have 6 adults in my room at once. It is too much and the kids are distracted and aren't sure who to go to for help and are just generally in a state of confusion.

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    1. That is way to many adults! My general rule of thumb is to provide push in services for math unless a kids is more than 2 years behind. That being said I also think 3 adults is the absolute max that should be in a classroom at once unless there are very special circumstances. It does not seem to be an effective use of teacher or student time to have more than 3 adults in one room!

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  13. So glad I found your blog! I'm getting ready to start a 6-8 title I math intervention program and have found your knowledge very helpful!

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  14. I am a new native English speaker resource teacher at a bilingual school in Honduras. The school has never had a resource teacher so we are currently working on figuring out the balance between push-in and pull-out. One of the biggest things I've noticed with pull-outs is the stigma carried with it - other kids quickly figure out who is being pulled out and why. Any strategies on how to combat this?

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